[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4597 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4597

To require U.S. Customs and Border Protection to permit the entry into 
    the United States of pets accompanying United States nationals 
             repatriating during public health emergencies.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 16, 2020

Mr. Kennedy (for himself and Mr. Booker) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require U.S. Customs and Border Protection to permit the entry into 
    the United States of pets accompanying United States nationals 
             repatriating during public health emergencies.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    The Act may be cited as the ``Permanently Uniting Pets Stateside 
Act'' or the ``PUPS Act''.

SEC. 2. ENTRY OF PETS OF UNITED STATES NATIONALS REPATRIATING DURING 
              PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES.

    (a) In General.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection shall permit the entry into the United States of a pet 
accompanying a covered individual entering the United States without 
regard to the requirements of the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention or the Department of Agriculture with respect to the entry 
of pets into the United States if the individual agrees to comply with 
those requirements as soon as practicable after entering the United 
States.
    (b) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered individual.--The term ``covered individual'' 
        means an individual who--
                    (A) is a citizen of the United States or an alien 
                lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the United 
                States;
                    (B) has been living or traveling outside the United 
                States; and
                    (C) is returning to the United States during a 
                public health emergency declared under section 319 of 
                the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d).
            (2) Pet.--The term ``pet'' means a domestic dog, cat, or 
        bird.
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